His first match with Logan Paul in August 2018 resulted in a draw, and the pair shall be combating a re-match in LA on Saturday.

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Right here we go once more.

KSI, the 26-year-old British YouTube star, is ready to face off in opposition to controversial vlogger Logan Paul as soon as once more in a YouTube movie star boxing match. The pair will battle it out on Saturday on the Staples Middle in Los Angeles, which holds 21,00zero folks. And this time, they’ll be labeled as skilled boxers.

YouTube boxing matches are a sizzling new pattern, kickstarted by KSI. Though the British vlogger first made his identify enjoying video video games on YouTube, he’s pioneered boxing occasions as a strategy to whip up well-known YouTubers’ large followings. The actual-life matches may generate thousands and thousands of kilos in ticket, merchandise, and streaming gross sales.

Right here’s how KSI, actual identify Olajide “JJ” William Olatunji, went from a suburban London upbringing to turning into one of many greatest YouTube stars on the earth.

KSI was born in London, after his mother and father moved to the UK from Nigeria. “They might work their asses off,” he informed The Solar in an interview.

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KSI/YouTube

He finally moved together with his mother and father out to the suburbs of Watford and went to a fee-paying college. It will now value you £20,00zero ($26,00zero) a yr to ship your baby to the “posh” Berkhamsted Faculty.

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Regardless of the costly schooling, KSI stated he found YouTube from the age of about 15 and ended up failing his A-Ranges. “Again then, folks can be like: ‘What are you doing? You’re such a weirdo. Why are you making movies on-line?’” he informed the Solar.

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He created his first YouTube channel in his early teenagers, the now-defunct “JideJunior.” Virtually all of the movies function KSI enjoying “FIFA 08,” a theme that may proceed in his primary YouTube channel.

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FIFA 18.

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EA

Ultimately, JJ would undertake the identify “KSI”, which stands for “Information, Energy, Integrity.”

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KSI/YouTube

In 2010, KSI created his primary channel and commenced posting recreation play footage from “FIFA 11.” He started to amass an enormous following, and after simply two years in he made sufficient cash from YouTube adverts and sponsorship to drop out of faculty.

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KSI made sufficient cash to purchase and customise a Lamborghini.

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Yiannimize/YouTube

KSI teamed up with six different YouTube players to kind a bunch of creators referred to as The Sidemen. “A sideman is mainly somebody’s bitch who simply follows them round,” stated fellow Sidemen member Miniminter in an FAQ. “I used to be mainly JJ’s [KSI’s] bitch that adopted him round.”

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Simon Minter, aka Miniminter.

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The Sidemen model and channel largely revolved across the YouTubers enjoying video video games and charity soccer matches with one another.

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The Sidemen.

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Sidemen/YouTube

The Sidemen would go on to dwell collectively in numerous plush homes in London. Their newest is a mansion at an undisclosed location in South London. It’s thought that’s the place KSI lives.

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Out of all of the Sidemen members, KSI has the most important following with 20.5 million subscribers.

He’s a younger millionaire, with estimated annual earnings of as much as £1.5 million, in response to SocialBlade.

KSI and Deji’s relationship generally grows turbulent. The brothers feuded on Twitter on Christmas after KSI was allegedly thrown out of their household dwelling.

KSI has had some controversy. He was banned from a Eurogamer occasion and sponsor Microsoft dropped ties with him final yr after he made sexist remarks to attendees. He subsequently apologised.

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KSI/YouTube

KSI pioneered a brand new style of crossover: The YouTube boxing match.

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Joe Weller.

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Joe Weller/YouTube

His first combat was in opposition to Joe Weller, a YouTube creator on the identical expertise community (OP Expertise).

The YouTube boxing match entails two well-known personalities combating one another identical to an actual match. KSI fought Weller in London’s Copper Field Enviornment in 2017 and received the combat.

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KSI/YouTube

Right here’s the complete combat:

His most excessive profile combat to this point was in opposition to Logan Paul in August 2018 on the 20,00zero capability Manchester Enviornment.

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Nicholas Hunt/Getty Photographs

The 2 whipped up anticipation for the combat in a bad-tempered press convention in London, by which KSI hurled insults at Paul’s girlfriend and household.

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Logan Paul/YouTube

The combat was a majority draw, with two judges giving the YouTubers equal factors and a 3rd giving the sting to KSI.

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YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul boxing on August 28, 2018.

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21,00zero folks packed out the stadium to look at the combat, and over 800,00zero folks watched it through YouTube’s pay-per-view service.

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Logan Paul in motion in opposition to KSI at Manchester Enviornment on August 25, 2018.

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REUTERS/Tom Jacobs

Enterprise Insider calculated the match generated as a lot as $11 million in income.

The 2 YouTubers have been busily hyping up their followers for spherical two. In a press convention in September Paul mocked KSI’s Christmas argument together with his brother Deji and stated he smelled “like herpes.”

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Justin Bieber has expressed help for Logan Paul.

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Justin Bieber helps Logan Paul.

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KSI responded: “Bieber’s an fool for backing Logan Paul… If he’s gonna be on the combat I’ll make sure you lock eyes with him so he can see his boy knocked out.” When requested if he’d ever combat Bieber he stated: “No, that’s silly.”

KSI stated he’s profitable as a result of he creates new tendencies. “When it got here to diss tracks I discovered my method into that,” he informed Esquire. “Now with boxing, I’ve created a brand new pattern. I’ve all the time tailored effectively, and that’s what’s led to my success.”